Comic success in Japanese style for pupil

A Bedford schoolgirl is to see her comic creations go on display at the Embassy of Japan.

Katharine Marshall, 12, was announced as the ‘Yonkoma Manga’ category winner at the ‘Manga Jiman!’ awards ceremony, hosted at the Embassy of Japan in London, on Friday, February 10.

Manga are comics traditionally created in Japan or by creators in the Japanese language, conforming to a style developed in the late 19th century.

The competition’s ‘Yonkoma Manga’ category invited entrants aged between 11 and 13 to create a comic strip of four panels referring to the theme ‘Sights of Japan’ and representing the imagery of the country.

Katharine’s winning piece named ‘The Travels of Sushi’ will now be displayed in a special exhibition at the Embassy of Japan.

Katharine, a student at Bedford Modern School, said: “I really enjoyed creating my winning Manga piece; I have been practising Manga for a couple of years now so it was nice to receive some acknowledgement for what I do.”

Katharine’s art teacher, Paula Edwards, said: “I am really pleased for Katharine, this is a fantastic achievement. Katharine is an enthusiastic and dedicated artist and it is particularly encouraging to see her furthering her skills and pursuing her passion outside of art lessons.